Automobile running-gear.



C. DE W. RADUFF.

AUTOMOBILE RUNNlNG GEAR,

APPLICATION FILED JULYM,1916..

Patefitei Jan. 30, 917.

Inventor Witnesses Attorneys T e i With the foregoing and other objects in are let-

, tonnes nnwrrr nuroivioninn RUNNING-GEAR.

aaraaaa I To atjmay. concern B it kn'wnj thatzl, Onnnnns D. RADLIFF, ar-citizen: the United States, residing at Ee'n'cl'iland,-- n the county of Fergus and State of-Montana, have invented-a new' and l Automobile Running-Gear, of which 'llowing is a specification. he presentiinvention appertains to run- ;itrng; ge

Land improved running gear "the four, wheels can be atnalsobeswung about a vertical axis for steerin the machine. present improvements are useful 1i .plea .su1'e cars, commercial cars, tracand: theIlike,-and this mechanism includes-anovel assemblage of the component elements to .enhance the utility and efiitnencyjof the "running gear.

view; which will appear as the description procecdgfthe inventionresides in the comtiignatipnand arrangement ofparts and in 'thesdetails of construction hereinafter des ibed. and claimed, it being understood it changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made Within the scope-of. what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein i 'Flgure Lis a plan view of the improved -;g gear. Fig.2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, portions being shown 'in elevation. .Fig. 3 is a cross section onthe line 3-,3 of Fig. 2. The present rumiing gear embodies four ground wheels 1 of suitable construction, in 41;

0 Ring gear is to be put, and transverse axle a Specification ofLetters Patent.

arsffor-i. automobiles, and aims to propelling theautomobile and.

;,accordance with the use to which the runhousmgs '2 are disposed between the frontand rear wheels, respectively, vided with difierential cases diflerential mechanisms which are operatively connected in any suitable manner or by a suitable transmission mechanism with an engine. The axle housings 2 house-the axle shafts 5. The remote or outer ends of the shafts 5 terminate adjacent the-ends ofthe' housings 2.

' Pivotally connected with the ends of the housings for 'stwin 'ng' movements iabout vertical axes, are uckle's 6 having. the 5.5 outstanding tubular and peripherally taand are pro- 3, 'IIIClOSHIg' nennrrr, or isnncrrnnnn, Monrnimf Patented ran; so, ii t. n iioationfilea July t, 1916. Seria1No.109,33 i

pered spindles 7, and the annulargrooves 8' upper and lower'oifsetears 9- overlapping upper and lower abutments 10- with which the ends of the housings 2 are the reception of upper and lower pivot bolts 11- and 12, respectively, which extend through the apertures and take into "the abutments 10. The lower bolts 12 have eyes or are in the form of eye bolts,'and a transverse truss rod 13 extends below each axle and has its terminals engaged through the eyes of-the respective bolts 12. The ears 9 are rotatably mounted upon the bolts 11 and 12, permitting the knuckles to swing in a horizontal plane about vertical axes. lower-ears 9 are provided with arms 14 with which the steering rods 15 are pivotally connected, whereby the front and rear wheels can be angled by any suitable mechanism (not shown). v

Eachzwheel 1 includes a hub 16 to which the spokes 17 are attached, and the hub has a tapered bore of slightly larger diameter than the circumference of the spindle 7, and anti-frictional rollers 18 are disposed between. the spindle and hub whereby the wheel can, rotate with a minimum amount of friction. As a means for holding the wheel upon the spindle and for connecting the wheel with the respective axle shaft 5, a stub shaft 19 is retatable within the spindle 7 and is provided at its outer end with a head or disk 20 overlapping the outer side of the hub 16. A ring 21 composed of sections, as seen in Fig. 3, rests against the inner side of the hub 12 and fits within the groove 8 to bear against the shoulder formed by said. groove at the larger end of the spindle 7, and the disk 20 and ring 21 are connected by bolts 22 extending through 'the hub 16, whereby the stub shaft 19 is rigidly secured to the hub- 16,.as'well as the ring 21. The ring 21 in being secured to the hub and fitting within the groove 8, will hold the hub in place upon the spindle, and suitable antifrictional bearings can be provided for re ducing the friction between the rings 21 and spindles.

provided, and the ears 9"are" apertured for The V other, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, thereby providing a universal joint which will permit the stub shaft 19 to be driven from the shaft 5 at the various angular positions of saidshafts relative to one another when the knuckle is swung.

The present mechanism is simple and inexpensive, and the assemblage of elements is such as to render the mechanism desirable and useful.

,The joints between the knuckles 6 and housings 2 can be made dust-proof to exclude dirt from the universal joints 23, and the spindles 7 can be of any design for various ball or roller bearings.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A mechanism of the character described embodying an axle housing, a shaft rotatable therein and terminating adjacent the end thereof, a steering knuckle having a tubular spindle, an annular groove at the basal end of said spindle, and ofiset ears overlapping and pivotally connected with the end of said housing, a wheel'having a hub rotatable. uponthe spindle, a stub shaftrotatable within the spindle and having a disk at its outer end overlapping the outer side of the hub, a ring working in said groove and resting against the inner side of the hub, means securing said disk and ring together and extending through the hub, the

adjacent ends of said shafts having interengageable portions to provide a universal 

